Short Introduction to the Area of Study

This area is in Martinez in the outskirts of Buenos Aires . It’s located between the streets Hipolito Yrigoyen, Panama, Corrientes and Fleming Avenue. In the area you can find residential houses, a gas station, some commercial stores and offices. I named the project “Dupont area” because you can find here the offices of the company.
It’s, no dough, an everyday landscape from Buenos Aires suburbs, since most of the suburbs have grown with not much urban design, regulation or planning.
Damian, Buenos Aires coordinator, suggested the area to me.
I visited the area and thought that it would be a challenging area to be studied. Although it’s a place I do not feel related to, it might be interesting to understand its evolution and think of a proposal for a change.

Exercise 1: Sketching the Landscape

Time frame: October 25 - November 15, 2011

Student activities:

Creation of analytical drawings and sketches

Presentation of results

Please upload a selection of your drawings/sketches/mental maps and add them to the image gallery

Sketches and Drawings

Santiago del Estero

Yrigoyen

Intersection Panama and Yrigoyen

Intersection Yrigoyen and Fleming

Exercise 2: Landscape Layers

Time frame: November 15 - 29, 2011

time based changes and 'landscape biography',

This area originally belongs to La Pampa and was inhabited by local aborigines, Guarani Indians. In 1850 Juan de Garay subdivided the areas that should be used as farm land.
In 1950 Domingo de Acassuso builds the first church, San Nicolas de Bari.
The area kept on growing over the years and now is used as a residential-commercial area.

topography, open spaces, built, green, traffic and water structures on different layers.

It is a flat area and it is located within the watershed of the Reconquista River. It used to be an area that could have some flood problems but this has been solved.
The nearest green area is a private Country Club, Jockey Club and a Race track.
It is easily differentiate 2 traffic area, one very hectic in the principal avenues and one very slow in the residential area.

Exercise 3: Behaviour Patterns

How do people behave in this area? How do they use the space? What is important for them? Interviews with local people.

This is a mix area and people behave in very different ways.

There is a commercial and an office area were people look busy, walking fast and with a very high interaction with the buildings. In this area you can also find some restaurants (pizza place, fast food stores) and small coffee shops were people take a break or have lunch. There are some bus stops that are usually crowded. There are some car replacements stores and people will park there car on the side walk to take a look to their cars with the shop assistant. In the intersection of Hipolito Yrigoyen Avenue and Sir Alexander Fleming Avenue there is a lot of traffic during the day. On Panama street and Hipolito Yrigoyen Avenue there is a gas station that is open 24 hs. To enter the Dupont offices on Hipolito Yrigoyen Avenue a security guard opens a security bar. The guard is very polite and told me that those were offices and the factory was somewhere else.
In all its very hectic, noisy and polluted area during the daytime. At night it is calm and isolated. Probably not very safe.

There is a residential area. Some of the a houses are small especially on Corrientes and Santiago del Estero streets. On this streets the traffic is slow and the people are strolling or walking their dogs. For my surprise I found some kids with their bikes. I talked to them and said they lived in that block. It used to be very normal to play on the street with your neighbors in Buenos Aires but now security problems are a big issue and so it is quite unusual. It was a very nice surprise.
There are some low condominiums, only 3 o 4 story high. You can see people coming in and out, I even found a grandma playing with her grandkids. There are some bus stops with little or no people waiting.
On Hipolito Yrigoyen Avenue near Panama street there are 2 big houses, you can see the roof and the trees behind a wall. While I was taking some pictures the security guard with a big dog intercept me and told me I was nor aloud.
In the residential area there is a personal interaction between the people and the buildings.

Exercise 4: Communication Concepts

Time frame: December 19, 2011 - January 17, 2012

As a result of studying the area I found two problems that could be addressed. One would be pollution, including visual, acoustic and atmospheric, the other would be security. In Buenos Aires security is of general concern.
While relieving the area the possible solution was in site. The inspirational situation were some kids playing on the streets, riding their bicycles.

In order to improve the quality life of the community the proposal would be having "BIKE PATHS".
There could be 2 different circulations=

-open circulation, connecting the area with other areas. Specially on avenues.

-closed circulation. This would be a close circuit that would be used on weekend, specially by kids and their families. It would be marked on the pavement with a different color. Car circulation would be closed between 9Am and 1PM.

This idea could be implemented in other suburban areas. Bike, or roller blade competitions could be planned between different neighborhoods. This could build local identity and as result people will take care of the common space.

The communication concept would be ="One more bike is one less car".

The benefits would be reducing pollution, less air pollution, less noisy.
On the other hand it would enhance a community sense, there would be a better neighbor communication that would probably make possible a more effective neighbor watch that would bring more security.

Educating kids on the habit of using their bikes would be better transporting alternative for the future. Better and sustainable cities.

To enhance the idea in the area and stimulate people there should be, bike path marked on the streets, street signs.